Lever actuating assembly for a hydrant



Nov. 15, 1966 w. B. NOLAND LEVER ACTUATING ASSEMBLY FOR A HYDRANT Filed Aug. 20. 1963 ll llllllll 4 /NVE/V7'0P M4 M5 8. Now/v0 54 0% W MJz mm United States Patent 3,285,273 LEVER ACTUATING ASSEMBLY FOR A HYDRANT Wayne B. Noland, Avon Lake, Iowa, assignor to Woodford Manufacturing Company, Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Aug. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 303,342 6 Claims. (Cl. 137272) This invention relates to a ground hydrant and in particular to the mechanism for opening and closing the hydrant valve means.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a hydrant wherein the valve steam may be readily adjusted to a linkage connecting it to the valve handle actuating member such that when the handle is pivoted into engagement with the hydrant body the valve will be positively closed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hydrant having a valve actuating handle which may be readily locked in a closed position with the valve means closed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hydrant having a minimum number of component parts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hydrant device which is simple in design, economical to manufacture and refined in appearance.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation perspective view of the ground hydrant of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of only the hydrant head including the valve actuating handle mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the hydrant head with the handle in an open or raised position and one of the linkage plates connecting the handle to the valve stem being removed to more clearly illustrate the hydrant head construction; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 the ground hydrant of this invention is shown and referred to generally by the reference numeral l0. Basically, it comprises an outlet head 12, a valve 14 and a valve control handle 16.

The outlet head 12 is generally U-shaped having arms 18 and 20. The arm 18 extends outwardly in a common plane with the arm 20 and terminates in a tongue portion 22. The other arm 20 extends outwardly and terminates in an inlet pipe 24, which is in communication through a passageway in the arm 20 with a spout 26 positioned intermediate the pair of arms. A riser pipe 28 is connected to the inlet pipe 24 and is adapted to be placed in the ground a distance extending below the frost line. At this point a valve body 14 is secured to the lower end of the riser pipe 28.

The tongue 22 on the free end of the arm 18 is pivotally received between a pair of clevis elements 30 formed on the end 31 of the handle 16. The handle *16 is thereby permitted to pivot about a pin 32 extending through the clevis elements and the tongue 22. Each of the clevis elements 30 have a hook or nose portion 34 extending outwardly (FIG. 2) from the end 31. A hole 35 (FIG. 3) extends through the end of the handle 31 between the pin 32 and the outer edge of the nose portion 34. The handle 16 is generally U-shaped and has a base gripping portion 36 and another end portion 38. The end portion 38 has an opening 40 extending therethrough.

A link unit 42 is pivotally connected to the end 31 of the handle 16 and comprises a pair of identical plate elements 44 (FIG. 4) positioned on opposite sides of the clevis elements 30 and pivotally connected thereto by a pin 46 extending through the hole 35 in the handle end 31. Below the opening for the pin 46 in the plates 44 is an opening 48. When these plates are secured together by a bolt 50 the openings 48 are in alignment transversely of the link unit 42. A bushing 52 is provided on the bolt 50 and positioned between the plates 44 in end abutting engagement therewith. Between the lower ends of the plates 44 is provided a clamp 54 having pins 56 extending in opposite directions therefrom through adjacent plates 44. Thus, the clamp 54 is free to pivot on the pins 56 relative to the plates 44. A set screw 58 is threaded into the clamp 54 to adjustably engage a valve steam 60 extending into the lower end of the clamp 54. From the clamp 54 the valve stem 60 extends through a bushing 62 in the inlet pipe 24 downwardly through the riser pipe 28 where it is connected to a valve means not shown contained in the valve body 14.

Thus it is seen that in operation the valve stem 60 may be longitudinally adjusted relative to the clamp 54 such that when the handle 16 is pivoted downwardly the valve means will be closed when the handle end 38 abuts against the inlet pipe portion 24. If desired, of course, the valve means could be closed at any other point in the pivotal travel of the handle 16 by the appropriate adjustment of the valve stem 60 within the clamp 54.

The handle 16 may be locked in a closed position in at least two diflerent ways. First, a conventional lock 64 (FIG. 1) may be inserted through the aligned openings 48 in the plates 44. As the handle 16 is pivoted upwardly the hook or nose portions 34 on the clevis elements 30 will about against the locking element 64 thereby preventing the opening of the valve means. Secondly, a locking element such as a chain or the like (FIG. 2) may be inserted through the opening 40 in the end 38 of the handle 16 and passed around the body of the hydrant and secured thereto in a suitable manner.

The outlet head 12 including the arms 18 and 20 have been fabricated from cast iron While the handle 16 with its clevis elements 30 being subject to forces which may possibly cause breakage has been formed from a malleable iron material.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my hydrant without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A hydrant, comprising,

an outlet head including a body portion with arms spaced apart in a common plane and extending outwardly therefrom in a common direction;

a valve stem operatively connected to a valve means, said stem being in moveable engagement with one of said arms and a portion of said stern extending into the space between said arms;

a handle member having one end pivotally connected to the other arm, said one end having a portion extending towards said first arm when said handle is in a closed position;

a pair of link plates having one end positioned on opposite sides of said handle portion and pivotally connected thereto, the other end of said plates being pivotally connected to said valve stem portion; and

locking means adapted to extend between said plates to limit pivotal movement of said handle by said handle portion abutting against said locking means upon said handle being pivoted towards an open position.

2. A hydrant, comprising,

an outlet head including a body portion with arms spaced apart in a common plane and extending outwardly therefrom in a common direction;

a valve stern operatively connected to a valve means, said stem being in movable engagement with one of said arms and a portion of said stem extending into the space between said arms;

a generally U-shaped handle member having one leg pivotally connected to the other arm, said one leg having a portion extending towards said first arm when said handle is in a closed position, the other leg of said handle adapted to operatively abut against said other arm to limit pivotal movement of said arm towards a closed position;

a pair of link plates having one end positioned on opposite sides of said one leg portion and pivotally connected thereto, the other end of said plates being pivotally connected to said valve stem portion; and

locking means adapted to extend between said plates to limit pivotal movement of said handle by said one leg portion abutting against said locking means upon said handle being pivoted towards an open position.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said other leg of said handle has an opening formed therein to receive a second locking means adapted to lockingly engage said hydrant to prevent the pivotal movement of said handle and thereby opening said valve means.

4. A hydrant, comprising,

an outlet head including a body portion with arms spaced apart in a common plane and extending outwardly therefrom in a common direction;

a valve stem operatively connected to a valve means, said stem being in moveable engagement with one of said arms and a portion of said stem extending into the space between said arms;

a handle member having a clevis at one end pivotally embracing the end of said other arm, each of said clevis elements having hook portions formed thereon;

a pair of link plates having one end positioned on opposite sides of said clevis ad pivotally connected thereto, said hook portions extending between said plates, and the other end of said link plates being pivotally secured to said valve stem portion; and

locking means adapted to extend between and lockingly engage said plates, said hook portions adapted to abuttingly engage said locking means to limit the pivotal movement of said handle member when opening said valve means.

5. ,The structure of claim 4 wherein said valve stem portion is adjustably connected to a clamp means and said clamp means is pivotally connected to the other end of said link plates.

6. A hydrant, comprising,

an outlet head including a body portion with arms spaced apart in a common plane and extending outwardly therefrom in a common direction;

a valve stem operatively connected to a valve means, said stern being in movable engagement with one of said arms and a portion of said stem extending into the space between said arms;

a handle member having one end pivotally connected to the other arm, saidone end having a'hook portion formed thereon;

a pair of link plates having one end positioned on opposite sides of said handle hook portion and pivotally connected thereto, the other end of said plates being pivotally connected to said valve stem portion; and

locking means adapted to extend between said plates to limit pivotal movement of said handle by said handle hook portion abutting against said locking means upon saidihandle being pivoted towards an open position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1909 Martin 137307 7/1927 Mallory 137-383 12/1935 Barnes 137383 8/1953 Anderson 137304 1/1956 Staben 137-302 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Examiner.

R. GERARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HYDRANT, COMPRISING, AN OUTLET HEAD INCLUDING A BODY PORTION WITH ARMS SPACED APART IN A COMMON PLANE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM IN A COMMON DIRECTION; A VALVE STEM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A VALVE MEANS, SAID STEM BEING IN MOVEABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID ARMS AND A PORTION OF SAID STEM EXTENDING INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ARMS; A HANDLE MEMBER HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ARM, SAID ONE END HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID FIRST ARM WHEN SAID HANDLE IS IN A CLOSED POSITION; A PAIR OF LINK PLATES HAVING ONE END POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HANDLE PORTION AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THERETO, THE OTHER END OF SAID PLATES BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE STEM PORTION; AND LOCKING MEANS ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEEN SAID PLATES TO LIMIT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE BY SAID HANDLE PORTION ABUTTING AGAINST SAID LOCKING MEANS UPON SAID HANDLE BEING PIVOTED TOWARDS AN OPEN POSITION. 